


The Set-Up

by oywiththepeetaalready



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:24:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oywiththepeetaalready/pseuds/oywiththepeetaalready
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peeta has the worst choice in women, as far as Finnick is concerned. When Peeta tries to set his roommate up just one more time, it takes a pretty spectacular woman and a lot of pleading to make it happen.<br/>Part of the HG Holiday Exchange 2013</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Set-Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kklausser](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kklausser/gifts).



> My first exchange fic! My prompt was writing a Odesta/Everlark double date - Canon or AU. Hope you like what I did with it, kklausser!
> 
> Thanks for the absolutely lovely banner, Ro Nordmann!

 

“No, Finnick, I swear, this one will be different!” Peeta holds up his hands in defense as his bronze-haired friend glares at him.

“Man, last time you tried to set me up with someone, all she did was proposition me the second the appetizer was set in front of us.”

Peeta sighs in acceptance. “I know; Glimmer was a mistake. And I apologized profusely for-“

“Stop using big words, English major. Having a big vocabulary does nothing for you here.” Finnick crosses his arms, rolling his eyes at his roommate.

“What can I do to prove that this one is different? What can I promise in collateral? I mean it, man. Katniss has been friends with Annie for years, I’ve known her since college and she just moved back to town. Apparently she isn’t opposed in the slightest to getting to know some people…”

“Isn’t opposed? Which means you or Katniss had this exact same conversation with her to try to convince her to meet me. I am still declining. But thanks.”

“C’mon Finn, what happened to wanting to turn over a new leaf and stop serial dating? This is a good option, I promise. Not trying to screw you over or get you screwed. What do you want to know about her that could change your mind?” Peeta sat down at the kitchen table and waited for his roommate to give in to the discussion.

“Nothing is gonna change my mind. I’m not interested. And besides, what if I have plans on Saturday; you didn’t even ask!” Peeta side eyes him suspiciously and he gives in. “Okay, so I don’t have anything to do, but still. You got some girl I know nothing about to agree to something I never even knew about.”

“Okay A), you do know things about this girl. She is one of Katniss’ best friends and she has told you many stories about her; I just doubt you listened. B), we told her we were going to have dinner with her no matter what but we were going to see if our friend that she may enjoy spending time with would come also.”

Finnick sighs and sits across from Peeta, letting his head hit the table in front of him. “Why this one? Why now?”

“Because this one’s different and she just came back for good. Listen, she’s stunning, has bright green eyes, long brown hair, practically a waif of a girl, loves to swim, is a kindergarten teacher and grew up across the street from Katniss then went to the same college as Katniss and I did. She’s one of the sweetest, most genuine people I have ever met and Katniss adores her. What more do you need to know?”

His friend responds with an eye roll. “Maybe you should ditch Katniss and date her.”

“Maybe you should shut the hell up. Pretty sure Katniss somehow heard that wherever she is and you’ve pissed her off.” The two laugh, knowing that if she had heard the comment, Finnick would be sporting a sore arm. Peeta’s girlfriend was petite but she packed a hell of a punch. Years of archery will do that for you.

Finnick finally stops to consider the proposition. A kindergarten teacher…a swimmer. Definitely not traits of the “ladies” Peeta had for some reason decided to set him up with. God knows how he found them. Actually…. thought Finnick. Nah, question for another day. No, wait a damn minute. Peeta somehow has a plethora of women in his list of acquaintances that seem to be less than savory...if the date goes badly, I may have to skillfully bring this up in front of Katniss as payback.

Grinning for reasons he’s glad Peeta doesn’t know, he nods. “Alright. I’ll make you a deal. If I decide this was a terrible idea and I’m going to hate you forever, you pay for the meal. If not, I pay for mine and Annie’s and you pay for yours and Katniss’. And you get the satisfaction of being right.”

“Deal!” Peeta’s face lights up as he pulls out his phone, presumably to announce his success to Katniss. Finnick shakes his head at the blonde’s eagerness and gets up from the table to worry in peace over what he has gotten himself into.

\--

Later that night, Finnick gives in to his curiosity. How could two of my best friends know this girl so well and I have no memory of even hearing her name?

He logs onto Facebook and searches the name Peeta had mentioned. Annie Cresta. Only one comes up that matches identically and he picks it. Unfortunately her privacy settings keep most of her information and pictures hidden.

Her profile picture is (he assumes) her silhouette standing on a beach at what looks to be sunrise. The overall picture is quite beautiful, but gives him no indication as to what she looks like, other than she really is as slender as Peeta had said.

Scrolling through her information, he notes that she did graduate from the same school as Katniss and Peeta, and the same year as Katniss. Okay, only two years younger than me. I can work with that. She recently changed her employment to the only elementary school in town which makes Finnick wonder why he had never heard of her, considering he works in the high school.

The only other information he can glean from the profile is that she is single (Better than It’s-okay-my-husband’s-not-home Cashmere, huh Peeta? Do your damn research.) and that she graduated from the very high school he teaches at now.

He looks away from the computer screen and closes his eyes in thought, furiously racking his brain on whether or not he had ever heard of this mysterious woman. He clearly has multiple reasons to have heard of her, but for some reason, he is drawing a blank.

He does remember vague stories of Katniss’ best friend from college, but he doesn’t remember a name ever being said. Or at least, he can’t seem to connect the two.

And now that he thinks about it, he does remember hearing about the new teacher starting in the elementary school, but he knows he tuned out after due to the fact that he literally only walks to that part of the school in order to plan activity days with the elementary PE teacher.

He rubs his temples and sighs. I hope you’re right, Peeta. Getting really tired of these blind dates of yours ending with either a married woman looking for a fling or a gold-digger upset that no swim team coaches for a high school don’t make as much money as a coach in the “real world”.

After closing his computer, he decides to call it a night and stop obsessing over what he may have gotten himself into this time. Damn his persuasive roommate.

\--

Four days later, Peeta and Finnick are en route to a restaurant a few miles away known for their fantastic bar, some killer burgers and the best French fries and mozzarella sticks this side of the Mississippi.

Okay, that may have just been what Finnick had been told by his jubilant roommate.  

Either way, he is happy with the fact that he didn’t have to dress up for this date and instead gets to be comfortable in a black button up and dark jeans.

Peeta drums his fingers happily on the steering wheel as he navigates towards the restaurant. Finnick hears his friend humming slightly off-key to the song softly playing on the radio. “My God you are way too happy about this.”

The only response Peeta gives is a smirk, causing Finnick to roll his eyes at his friend’s antics and glance out the window as they pull in the parking lot.

“The girls already have a table near the back of the bar,” says Peeta, apparently gaining this information from a text he is reading.

Finnick nods and the pair make their way inside and to the table where two brunettes are seated. He smiles at the way Peeta lights up the second he is near Katniss and as the two share a hug and a kiss, he takes the time to look at the woman sitting in the corner of the booth.

He can’t help but swallow hard. Peeta was right. She is definitely stunning. Annie’s hair is pulled half back in a clip, leaving the rest down in waves with a few small pieces framing her face. Her bangs are almost long enough to cover eyes that are greener than any he had ever seen. She smiles at Finnick in greeting and he slides into the booth to sit directly across from her. He notices her eyes moving appraisingly over his upper body and he is suddenly glad he changed from a Henley shirt to the button down.

He returns the smile and awkwardly reaches over the table to offer his hand. “Finnick. I assume you are the lovely Annie this guy has been talking my ear off about.”

She laughs lightly, accepting his hand. “Hopefully no college stories came up in these conversations,” she jokes, glancing at the other couple out of the corner of her eye.

Finnick shakes his head. “No worries,” he says. “Everything has been very positive. Glowingly so. Based off Peeta’s comments, I figured I was being set up with nothing short of a goddess.”

“High expectations. That’s asking a lot from a girl.”

“Well, so far, his description hasn’t strayed from the truth.” Finnick punctuates his statement with a wink, hoping to regain the upper hand and utilizing the charm that normally has women all but falling at his fate. Hey, he didn’t ask for them to do it, but if it works, it works.

Finnick’s comment causes her to laugh again and roll her eyes. “You always this smooth on dates?”

Finnick blushes and runs a hand through his hair, casting his eyes away from his interrogator. “Far from it lately, but that may be due to the company I had been keeping. Peeta set me up with some women who didn’t require smoothness, rather just a male within arm’s reach.”

He pulls a face, sending a slight glare towards his friend, who laughs and holds up his hands in surrender, having begun listening in on the conversation occurring at the table after sitting down next to Finnick.

Katniss leans over towards Annie and the two begin catching up on some antics of a mutual friend, Johanna, who just recently started working with Katniss at the rec center. Taking advantage of the distraction, Peeta raises his eyebrows in question. Finnick nods briefly and grins. “Already better than the last three. Not that that would take too much,” he mutters under his breath, prompting a chuckle from Peeta.

The four place their drink orders and peruse the menu, occasionally making comments on which dish appealed to them. Finnick is pleased when Annie refuses the idea of ordering a salad as an entrée immediately. Good. I like a woman who will actually eat rather than just steal my food and pick at a salad.

After deciding and relaying their choices to the waitress, Peeta and Katniss break off into their own conversation, leaving Annie and Finnick sitting in relative quiet. As Finnick takes a drink of his beer, he decides to go the safe (and pathetic) route. “Peeta told me you teach kindergarten?”

Annie nods, clearly making him work for any further information. “What do you do?”

“I teach gym at the high school and coach for the swim team.”

She shows a hint of interest at the mention of teaching. Clearly she hadn’t heard his name around school either. “You teach gym, huh?”

“I know; everyone tells me it’s a copout subject but I love it.”

“I disagree. Granted, there is less outside work, but you still have to plan and handle students a great deal. That’s why gym teachers are good coaches. They have time to devote to it outside of class more so than others. Coaching is the same as teaching in some ways,” she responds, shocking Finnick so much he just gazes at her in disbelief. Annie giggles at his slack jaw. “You didn’t expect me to think that at all did you?”

Finnick shakes his head dumbly. “Most women just get annoyed at the lack of paycheck for being involved in sports for a living. Clearly I’ve just been talking to the wrong ones. How long have you taught?”

“I’ve switched between third, first and kindergarten now for about five years. I started in an elementary school after college a few towns away since there were no open positions here but one opened up as a kindergarten teacher and here I am.”

“Which has been your favorite to teach?”

Annie takes a sip of her hard cider and considers the question. “I’d have to say kindergarten. The kids are adorable and still unjaded by the idea of school. I get to be their first teacher. Plus, a forty-five minute break for naps every day helps out.”

“I can see that being helpful,” Finnick says, laughing. “I wish I had naptime built in to my schedule. God, that would be magical.”

“How busy is your day?” Annie asks, tracing a finger around the rim of her half empty glass.

Finnick takes a deep breath, calculating out his times. “I have swim practice at 6:30 in the morning four days a week and school starts at 8:15. I teach two gym classes before lunch, one fitness class and then one general health and a gym class in the afternoon.”

Annie nods, clearly impressed. “Do you have other things to do for swim in the afternoon?”

“Nah, we just have them suffer and wake up early. We figure energy is higher then than after seven class periods of them trying to stay awake.”

“I wish wrestling had realized that when I was in school,” Peeta chimes in. “I swear some days I almost just rolled over on the mat and went to sleep.”

The rest of the group laughs and they fall into easy conversation reminiscing about high school antics and morphs into college memories as they get their food.

Finnick finds himself laughing harder than he can remember as Annie and Katniss fill him in on just what happens when Peeta gets hammered, or at least what had occurred in college. He had never been lucky enough to see college Peeta, having met him by coming into the café Peeta owned in hopes of getting some treats for his students during finals week his first year teaching. They had become fast friends and when Peeta discovered that Finnick had been staying in an extended stay hotel since vacancies in their small town were limited, he had immediately offered to have Finnick move in with him, claiming to never turn down an opportunity to reduce his bills.

He also finds himself staring at Annie. A lot.

He rediscovers how attractive she is each time he looks at her and becomes more and more content as it becomes evident that her personality is as beautiful as her looks. He never would have expected to be interested in a girl like this, a quiet waif of a woman with a quick wit.

And yet, as the night goes on, Finnick falls further and further.

He realizes that her previous interest in his career may have been due more to the swim team than his teaching, as she mentions having been on one in high school and college. He learns more about her in this one evening than he had with any other girl on any other date, thanks to Katniss and Peeta being so sickeningly in love that they kept having inside jokes and conversations across their half of the table, leaving Annie and Finnick to their own devices.

They finish eating and drinking and when the waitress asks how the checks are going to be split, Finnick notices that Peeta sneaks him a glance, knowing that his response will indicate his happiness with the match. Finnick speaks up quickly. “Those two are one, and we are on a separate one.” Annie starts to protest and he just smiles. “This one’s on me.”

The night draws to a close and the couples are soon walking out to the cars, Katniss and Peeta leading the way, clearly hoping to have a semi-private goodbye before Annie and Finnick join them. Yet again, Finnick is left wondering just why on earth those two aren’t just living together. He already knows Peeta had a ring hidden somewhere in the house, but he claims it “isn’t time just yet.”

Annie and Finnick dawdle, talking about plans for the break and how they are going to survive without having something to do for eight hours a day. Finnick offhandedly mentions that she would be welcome to contact him if she finds herself desperate for company and she surprises him for the umpteenth time this evening by holding her phone out to him and suggesting that he put her number in it.

After recovering from the realization that he has somehow become the meek one in this whatever-it-is, he happily types his number in and sends himself a text from her phone so he has hers in exchange.

He walks her over to Katniss’ car, suddenly wishing that he had driven instead of Peeta so he would have had the option to take Annie back to her place to spend some more time with her on the ride there. Instead, he decides to go for it and wraps Annie up in a quick hug. After pulling away, he smiles down at her. “I honestly had a fantastic evening. I finish with finals for the kids in about a week and a half. Let me know if you want to grab a meal or something before I finish. That may be all I have time for, I’m afraid.”

Annie nods. “Understandable. I definitely will. Another nice thing about kindergarten – no finals.” She pats his arm reassuringly, throws him one last smile and allows him to open the car door for her. Katniss slides in the other side and Finnick waves them off before joining Peeta at his truck.

After they are both situated and heading back towards home, Peeta glances at his friend expectantly. “Well?”

“Good God you are worse than a girl.”

Peeta sighs and rolls his eyes. “Just trying to see if I redeemed myself. Funsucker.”

Finnick looks out the window and hides a smile. “You did good this time, Peeta. Really good.”

 


End file.
